Endings
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” ~ Richard Bach
I have no problem starting poems or stories (like I have no problem filling up closets). It’s ending them that’s hard. Endings should look like they’ve always been there, as though there were no possible other conclusion. But readers might be surprised by how many endings a writer might try, or by how hard a good ending is to come by.
Sometimes a whole movie is ruined, if you don’t like the way it ends. Movie producers know this, which is why they sometimes film more than one ending and test audiences to see which one works best.
I’ve noticed that songs are even harder to end than written pieces. There aren’t a lot of options for ending songs. They either fade away into silence or build up to a crescendo and then abruptly stop.
I’m not surprised that endings are the hardest part of writing, because they’re also the hardest part of life. Birth is expected and exciting. Death is dreaded and often painful.
The problem with an ending is that you don’t know what it is until you get there. You hope you’ll know it when you see it. Some endings do come without effort, and you just take down what is happening. But others you have to find. Sometimes a false ending presents itself. You think the story is over, but it’s not. And then there are the series of small endings, conclusions to each paragraph that you have to figure out.
They say that every ending is also a new beginning. I like to think that’s true, because it makes endings feel less final. Is there ever a truly final ending, one that can’t begin again? That’s like asking if there’s an end to the universe. And if there is an end, what exists beyond it?
I’m getting ready to end this now. But that shouldn’t be a problem. You, as the reader, can turn the page or decide for yourself what comes next. As for me, I’m ready to start my next writing project. I only have to decide this: Should I sit in the moonlight for new inspiration, or should I go back to cleaning out my closets?
~ Taken from Muses Like Moonlight: A Closet Poet Comes Out, my 2004 poetry collection and short essays on writing.
April 29th, 2008 10:38 am
You can come and clean out MY closets!!
April 29th, 2008 2:26 pm
A wonderful essay, Colleen, with a great ending! When I write a short story, the ending, for me, is the hardest part to write. And often, the endings I DO write are often critiqued as “too happy” or as “wrapping up the story too neatly, like a bow.”
So it’s no wonder I have trouble writing them!
April 29th, 2008 3:21 pm
Titles can be hard to. But once you get a good title and the beginning and the middle, you still have to end it.
Thanks, Beth.
April 29th, 2008 6:53 pm
I really like this statement – mainly because it seems to be so true…it is a great comparison.
“I’m not surprised that endings are the hardest part of writing, because they’re also the hardest part of life. Birth is expected and exciting. Death is dreaded and often painful.”
Forget the closets – I vote for the moonlight!
April 29th, 2008 10:33 pm
I vote for the moonlight, too. Take it from a professional organizer — the closets will always be there, but the writing muse may not. 😉
April 30th, 2008 3:12 pm
I suppose starting from the ending and working backwards clears that out of the way.
Hope you’re doing well. It’s a tiring ole week already.